Petr Yan and Sean O’Malley have unfinished business.
“No Mercy” dropped a controversial decision “Sugar” at UFC 280 A fight in late 2022 that put O’Malley in title contention and his subsequent title reign. However, whether or not a replay takes place may depend on the outcome of the game UFC 333 main event this weekend in Abu Dhabi, where Yan will take on former bantamweight titleholder Merab Dvalishvili in his trilogy.
“Why not?” Yan (20-5) spoke MMA fight. “We have the history, so why not this fight? He’s going to win, obviously. He’s doing a great job. He’s moving forward and he’s definitely proven that he’s the next one or one of the next ones that should have a good title fight. But it’s not that I look at it and I’m impressed, it’s just that he’s on the right trajectory.”
“If Merab wins, it feels like you have to give Song the title,” O’Malley said earlier. YouTube. “If not, if Petr wins, I’ll get the title. Mario (Bautista) is there too. The division is on fire right now.”
O’Malley (20-3, 1 NC) already defeated Dvalishvili in mutual fightsso any chance to get another crack at the 135-pound crown will require Yan to win at UFC 333. That means he could still fight Yan if “No Mercy” loses, unless the promotion ties him to Bautista or Umar Nurmagomedov.
